Second Chances
by PrincessBellePrinceAdam
Summary: [Dino Thunder] Kim moves to Reefside with her two children, looking for a fresh start. Kira, fresh from her breakup with Trent, is home for the summer. Tommy and Conner have their second chances. TommyxKimxJason and ConnerxKiraxTrent
1. Prologue

**Second Chances**

"Hey, bud!" Jason Scott called to his long time friend Tommy Oliver. Tommy turned around as Jason jogged up to him. "You got a minute?" asked Jason. "It's kinda important."

Tommy nodded. "Shoot."

Jason dug around in his jeans pocket. He took out a small red velvet box and popped it open. "Check this out. I'm gonna propose to Kimberly tonight when I take her out for dinner."

Tommy smiled at his friend. "I'm happy for you, man," he replied, rubbing his forehead. The last thing he wanted to talk about right now was Kimberly Hart. But she was important to an old pal and colleague whom he didn't get to see often, and so he decided to stick it out.

"Listen, Tommy…if Kim says yes when I pop the question, will you be my best man?" Jason's brown eyes watched Tommy almost nervously. He knew Tommy well enough to know that Kim was still something of a sore spot for him, even after all these years had passed.

"Course I'll be your best man," answered the other man. Jason grinned and then the two exchanged a brief one-armed hug that was customary between men their age.

"We were gonna go get a pizza or something," said Jason. "As a snack in my case because Kim takes so long to get ready it'll probably be midnight before we go anywhere."

Tommy managed a weak smile. "I'll pass," he responded with a yawn. "I gotta put in some work for Anton and then I'm hitting the hay."

"You work too hard, Tommy!" shouted Jason as he turned away from his friend and started back towards the group of men wearing red a couple yards away. "Tell Mercer to lay off of you now and then!"

Tommy waved to his friend and continued on to his red sports car. He was just glad this mission was over. He wanted to hang up his morpher for good.

--

Tommy poked his head into Kim's bridal room, only to see her standing all alone in her white satin gown, staring at herself in the full length mirror.

"Hey beautiful," he said softly before he could stop himself from using his old term of affection for her.

She giggled and crossed the room to him. "It means a lot to Jason that you're his best man. You're like a brother to him, you know. And it's nice to know that we can both be mature about our past and still be friends."

"Of course," said Tommy. "I'd better get out there before Jason loses it. He's nervous enough as it is." Kim nodded and stood on her tiptoes to kiss her old flame's cheek.

"I'll see you in a minute, alright?"

Tommy didn't trust his mouth to not say anything he would regret later, so he merely gave a jerk of his head and headed out of the room towards the wedding hall. There were no hard feelings towards Kim and no slight envy of Jason. None at all.

Who was he trying to fool, anyway? He still secretly hurt over Kim and he certainly didn't want to watch her marry another man, especially one who he loved as a brother.

But that was life. Scratch that, this was _his_ life.


	2. Homecoming

**Second Chances**

Kira Ford parked her yellow convertible and rummaged through her black and yellow purse for her cell phone. Pulling out the slim silver phone, Kira flipped it open and dialed a familiar number.

Up in the house, Conner McKnight rolled out of his bed, scrambling to find his cell phone. The Crazy Frog theme was ringing away cheerfully, and it was irritating. He found his phone under a pile of dirty laundry and examined the screen. "Hi, Kir," said Conner once he'd checked the ID. He plopped down on his red beanbag chair. "What's up with you?"

Kira could feel the smile in her friend's voice. "Guess who's sitting outside of your house?"

The red curtains in the upstairs window parted and she saw Conner's shaggy brown head appear. He lit up upon seeing her out on the street. She waved.

"Be right there," promised Conner. Kira saw him run a hand through his chocolate locks and then he disappeared. A moment later, the door to the McKnight home opened and her old friend came running out. The former yellow ranger climbed out of her car and ran into Conner's open arms.

"I missed you, Con," she told him. "How've you been?"

"I'm fine. You look great, Kira," replied Conner, twirling her around. "I heard you on the radio this morning. I was so proud of you." He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye, earning him a gentle smack and a shy smile from Kira.

"Thanks Conner. You look great, too. Are you free right now?"

He nodded. "It's summer vacation. I'm free until the end of August."

Kira chuckled. "Get in. We'll go to Hayley's."

Conner grinned and went around the car to the passenger side. "Hey Kir," he said as the two buckled themselves in, "Where's Trent?"

"I'm home for the summer," Kira replied, focusing on the road. The stiff change of subject told Conner that something was definitely wrong with his two friends' romantic relationship. He knew he shouldn't, but he was actually happy at this news. He'd always thought Kira could have done way better than the former white ranger.

Conner held the door open for Kira in a very gentlemanly manner as the two went into Hayley's Cyberspace. Kira smiled to herself at that action; Conner seemed to sense that she needed a good friend right now.

"Kira's home!" cried the redheaded proprietor. "How are you?"

"I'm fine Hayley," replied Kira. "I really miss your smoothies, though," she added, her eyes wide and innocent. Hayley laughed and started preparing a strawberry smoothie for the younger woman.

"We've been hearing you on the radio lately, Kira," Hayley said. "I always knew you had a ton of talent. Good for you. Make sure to send me a copy of your CD when it comes out." She pushed a cup across the counter. Kira accepted her drink and slurped at it, waiting while Conner put in his own order.

The former red and yellow rangers found themselves a table for two and started catching up. Conner told Kira about the championship winning goal he'd made during the last soccer game of the season, and Kira talked about her upcoming music video for her new single. "No funky hairdos, either," she finished with a laugh.

And then came a lull in their anecdotes. "Kira," Conner said, "Where's Trent? Why didn't he come home too?"

Kira's warm brown gaze turned away from Conner's face. "We had a fight," she mumbled into her smoothie cup. "He wanted more…I don't know…freedom. Apparently there was some beautiful starving artist type that he wanted to pursue. And quite frankly, I have better things to do then wait around for Trent to figure out who he likes better."

"I'm sorry, Kira," Conner said softly, reaching across the table for her hand. He meant his words of sympathy, but at the same time he couldn't help but think he now had a second chance with Kira Ford.

She nodded. "I know you are."

And then silence again. A moment later, the front door opened again and in walked a mother with a baby on her hip and a little girl tugging at her hand.

"I want a soda, Mommy," whined the little girl. She blew her chestnut brown hair from her eyes and frowned.

"I know, Macy. Shh, Natie," she cooed to her baby. The woman leaned down to the little girl. "Baby, would you hold your brother for just a minute? Your shoe is untied."

Macy nodded and wrapped her tiny arms around her brother tightly. The mother managed a weak smile and tied her daughter's shoe for her. Straightening up, the brunette dug into her purse, fishing for her wallet. Kira watched intently as the woman ordered two sodas from Hayley and ushered her children over to a table. The poor girl looked completely exhausted and on the verge of tears.

"Do you know her, Kira?" questioned Conner.

"I think I've seen her before. I just can't remember where. She looks so familiar and I can't put my finger on it."

But then Macy took a piece of ice out of her soda cup and discreetly stuck it down Nate's T-shirt. As Nate burst into tears and the woman scooped her son up, Kira remembered.

"That's Dr. O's ex girlfriend. Kim Hart."

Conner's eyes widened. "The infamous letter and all," he whispered, and Kira nodded.

"She married his best friend."

Conner and Kira looked over at the table again, watching Kimberly soothe her son and scold her daughter. "She looks so sad," remarked Conner.

And indeed she did. Kira was sure she was about to wail as loudly as her son was.

The door to the café opened for the third time and in walked Dr. Tommy Oliver. "Hey Hayley," he called, "Can you help-" His voice trailed off as he saw Kimberly Scott sitting in the café with her two screaming children.

"Uncle Tommy!" shouted Macy, and all he could do was pick her up and stare at Kim.

"I have to talk to you," said Kim. "Can we stay with you for awhile?"


	3. Truth

**Second Chances**

Kimberly Scott loaded her children back into her car and followed Tommy back to his house, refusing to answer Macy's questions about where her daddy was and why were they visiting Uncle Tommy. She merely told her daughter to be quiet and let the adults talk.

Once the four had arrived at Tommy's house, Kim settled her children in front of the TV with a cartoon and warned Macy to be quiet yet again. Tommy helped Kimberly bring her and the kids' bags in, remaining silent as he did so, knowing that Kim would pipe up with the reason as to why she was here when she felt ready.

He started a pot of coffee once everything had been brought in from the van. Pushing a mug across the old wooden kitchen table, Tommy plopped down in one of the chairs and waited for Kim to say something.

"We've been up since one a.m."

He knew there had to be more to the story than this, so Tommy just took a sip of his coffee. He looked at Kim expectantly.

Then the tears that had been threatening Kim all day long started to fall. "Jason," she whispered. "Jason and I had a fight, Tommy. And then he took a ride on that damned motorcycle of his and went and crashed…"

And Tommy was suddenly very aware of what Kim and Macy and little Nate were doing here in Reefside. Jason was gone. His best friend, gone like that. "Kim," he said softly. She was sobbing, her shoulders trembling and tears pouring from her sweet brown eyes. "Oh Kim."

He moved to her end of the table and knelt before her, first putting a supportive hand on her shoulder and then pulling her down onto the floor with him, holding her as close as possible.

"I haven't told my kids yet. They're too young to understand why Daddy isn't going to come home." Tommy felt Kim shake against him. "I can't stay in that house."

"Stay here as long as you need to, Kim. I have plenty of room." It was the only thing he could offer other than a hug. He couldn't relate to losing a spouse obviously, but he could offer comforting arms and a place that Jason's memory wasn't plastered on every surface.

"I've lost both of them now, Tommy. My best friend and my husband." She looked up at him with red rimmed eyes, still so beautiful even though she was in so much emotional pain. "First Trini and now Jason."

"I know, Kim, I know. But this could be a fresh start, the opportunity to turn over a new leaf. And by all means, grieve for Jason. Just don't forget that saying about the doors opening, OK? I'm always here if you need me."

"Thanks, Tommy," Kimberly murmured, wiping her eyes. "We won't be here long, I promise. I'll probably find an apartment here in Reefside in a couple of weeks. I just can't be in Angel Grove any more."

"Like I said, you and the kids stay here as long as you need to. I love those kids and now that it's summer, I can play Super Uncle to them."

Kimberly managed a very weak smile. "Thank you, Tommy," she repeated. She untangled herself from her friend's arms and stood. He mimicked her actions, taking his now cold coffee over to the microwave. "What do you have for dinner? The very least I can do is make dinner for everyone."

"I'm getting so tired of take out," joked Tommy. "And I think there's some hamburger meat in the freezer."

--

Back at Hayley's, Kira was finishing up her third smoothie. "Well, Conner, I'd better get going. I still have a bit of jet lag from the flight, and I promised my mom I'd pick something up for her. Do you want a ride back, or will you get home on your own?"

Conner nodded. "I'll take a ride," he said, hoping that maybe he'd get another hug from his pretty friend who was currently single.

Kira picked up her purse and her keys. "See you later, Hayley!" she called as she and Conner headed out again. "Maybe we'll stop by again tomorrow."

The drive back to Conner's home was fairly quiet, as the former red and yellow rangers had talked about everything at their favorite old haunt. "Talk to you later, Kira," said Conner as she pulled into his driveway. "I'll call you tomorrow and maybe me and you can do something."

Kira bobbed her head. "Sure. It was great seeing you, Con." And she backed her yellow convertible out again, waving to her red ranger as she did so.

Conner watched Kira leave, his heart sinking as her car became a yellow blur in the distance. He was very confused about his feelings for Kira; he had been ever since Trent had come around for the first time three years ago. He'd had Kira's undivided attention ever since she found out he was an artist, and Conner was jealous of him. That had surprised him, as he was an easy going, laid back sort of guy.

And now Kira was broken up with the guy and home for the summer. Conner knew he meant a lot to her, but would she even want more out of their friendship? He didn't even know how long Kira and Trent had been over, so he wasn't sure if she was still technically on the rebound. But he would be seeing her again tomorrow, and hopefully it would all become a little bit clearer.

--

Kira turned on the radio to her favorite local station to drown out the silence. She hated quiet in the car, and she cranked up the volume, drumming her fingertips on the steering wheel. "And here's the first single from rising star Kira Ford. It's called 'Freak You Out' and it's on KREF."

Kira grinned as the familiar guitar chords started blaring out of the speakers. She hummed along to her song as she waited for the light to change from red to green. Staring at the red light, her mind wandered to Conner. She had missed him while she was in New York, getting discovered and recording her first CD. She'd called him more and more as the album came together, and part of the reason she and Trent had called it quits was because of Conner. Trent meeting that other girl had almost been a relief to the yellow ranger, who was now very willing to admit her attraction to Conner.


	4. Ranger Pride

**Second Chances**

Conner, Kira, and Ethan filed into Hayley's late the next morning. If it weren't for the fact that the redheaded proprietor and genius had called Kira and told her to bring both guys, Conner wouldn't have wanted the former blue ranger along on he and Kira's outing. But Kira reported that Hayley had said it was an urgent matter concerning Dr. O, and the red ranger couldn't exactly complain about Ethan's presence.

The trio walked into the café to see Tommy taking a deep sip from a coffee cup emblazoned with the Hayley's Cyberspace logo. His glasses were folded on the table, his warm brown eyes bloodshot, and his clothes disheveled. Hayley was in the chair next to him, looking sympathetic and occasionally patting Tommy's arm gingerly.

"Whoa, Dr. O. You look like death warmed over. What happened to you?" demanded Ethan, plopping himself down in a third seat. Hayley sent a glare towards him.

"Jason is dead," Tommy choked out.

"Your best friend," Kira clarified. 'I'm sorry, Dr. O."

"You mean the one who stole that babe from you?" asked Conner. Kira smacked his arm, her tawny eyes narrowed at her friend.

"Have a little respect, Conner. The guy was the first red ranger on earth, a friend of Dr. O's and you're talking about him being married to Dr. O's ex."

"Sorry," mumbled Conner sheepishly. He thought for a moment. "Does Jason being…well…dead, have anything to do with Kim and those kids being here yesterday?"

All Tommy could manage was a nod. "They had a fight and he got into an accident."

"Poor kids," said Kira. "What are they gonna do?"

"Move here. They're staying with me for awhile, just until Kim finds an apartment or a little house to rent."

Under other circumstances Conner would have made a little joke about Kim and Tommy getting it on. But the lost sort of look on his mentor's face was an indication that he should definitely hold his tongue.

"I just need to lean on the four of you," continued Tommy, looking at each of them in turn. "Me and Kim both do, even if she doesn't know you. It's what being a ranger is really about. It's going to be hectic here, even more so than when Mesagog was terrorizing the city."

His companions nodded. "Of course," said Hayley. "You should have Kim come down so we can get introduced properly. If we're going to be doing our best to help you two out, we might as well be real friends and not just acquaintances."

"I will," promised Tommy, rubbing the creases in his forehead. "But not today. She's trying to break the news to her kids right now."

A moment of silence passed over the five. From inside of her purse, Kira's phone chimed loudly. "Sorry," said Kira as she pulled out her silver phone. "I'll take it outside."

The former yellow ranger pressed the phone to her ear and headed out again, pausing briefly to send a sympathetic look at Tommy. "Hello," she answered as she stepped out onto the light gray sidewalk. She fell silent as her agent's flamboyant voice broke out cheerfully.

"Kira babe, glad I caught you," said Chris Parker. "Look, I got a call from that Reefside station KREF. The local listeners out there in your hometown are totally in love with your single. The management is simply begging you to do an autograph session at the Reefside mall. I told them that you would love to."

Kira forced herself not to sigh. She was far too tired for an autograph signing session right now, and she'd much rather be catching up with her friends or trying to help Dr. O out with Kim. "When exactly do I have to do this, Chris?"

"Tomorrow morning at ten, doll. You're supposed to meet a Samantha at the fountain in the middle of the mall. I'm sure you know where it is. And remember, it's all publicity! Ciao, darling." Chris had hung up before Kira could even protest. She let out a sigh pf frustration. This was supposed to be her summer, not the record label's.

"Everything alright, Kir?" came Conner's voice in a soft question. Her red ranger approached her almost cautiously, as if he were certain she was about to explode on him.

She shook her head, her loose honey brown waves swinging around her face. "Not exactly," she answered in his same soft tone. "That was my agent. I have to go sign a bunch of autographs for some ten year olds at the mall tomorrow."

Conner winced. "That sounds painfully boring," he mused. "But you know what they say, the price of fame and all that…"

"I know that I shouldn't complain. I have a great label and an agent who really knows the business. But it's just that I've worked so hard on this debut CD, the music video is finished shooting and it's all being wrapped up. The CD isn't out until the end of August, but all they're doing is some last minute stuff. They don't need me right now; I'm supposed to be on vacation."

Conner scrubbed a hand through his shaggy chocolate locks. "Well, I think I know a way to make this tortuous activity a little better," he said after a moment. "I could go with you. And then we could go eat some undercooked hot dogs from the food court and make fun of Ethan when we see him come out of the gamer store carrying a bunch of anime stuff…come on, it'll be fun."

Kira managed a smile. "I'd like that, Con. But I'm sure you have something much better to do than hang around watching me write my name over and over again."

"Yeah," agreed Conner, "But you would do the same for me."

"Have I told you lately that I adore you, Conner?" asked the former yellow ranger. She grinned hugely and swooped in and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll come get you so you can talk me into actually going and not ditching."

Conner beamed back at Kira. "Sounds good. I'll see you then. Ethan's dragging me off to look at video games. I owe him a favor for looking over my term paper for me."

Kira chuckled lightly. "Have fun. Catch you later, Conner." She hugged him to her and headed off to her car, waving as she went. Conner watched her drive away from him for the second time in two days and forced himself to stop staring after her. At least he'd have tomorrow to hang around with her, just the two of them.

And a bunch of screaming fans.


	5. Want to be Next to You

**Second Chances**

Tommy made his way to his secluded home only to find Kim sitting on the front porch with a sleeping Macy on her lap. Kim's tawny eyes were red rimmed, just as they'd been when she told him about Jason's death. She smoothed some of Macy's hair away from her round face, still chubby with baby fat. Then she looked up at her old flame.

"How'd Macy take the news?" Tommy asked softly. He sat down beside the former pink ranger and removed the rectangular glasses. It seemed he'd been rubbing his forehead more and more recently. He thought this while massaging his temples and searching Kim's face for her response.

"Not well at all. She was a daddy's girl from the day she was born, Tommy, you know that. And Jason truly adored her; she was his little princess. That's why I'm so angry with him for being so irresponsible that night. I mean, I miss him, and I love him, but he never should have left so angry."

Tommy absentmindedly slipped his arm around her shoulders, and to his surprise Kimberly leaned in close to him. "I miss him so bad, Tommy. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know how I'm going to be able to afford to live without Jason's income. I have to make a life for me and my kids here, without my husband. I'm so scared."

"I bet," Tommy replied. "I would be too, Kim. But right now, I think there are more important issues and arrangements to make, like Jason's funeral and selling the house in Angel Grove. Don't worry about anything else right now. You can always stay here; you know that I love having you and Macy and little Nate."

"I can't tell you how grateful I am for that, Tommy," remarked Kim as she carefully stood with her tiny daughter still wrapped securely in her arms. "I don't know how to convey how glad I am that me and you are still friends, despite what happened between us all those years ago when we were teenagers."

Tommy shrugged. "I know that you would be doing the same for me if I was in your shoes, Kim. Don't tell me you wouldn't, wither. You and your kids need a fresh start, and I'm happy to help you out."

Kim balanced the still sleeping Macy on her hip, her warm brown gaze on Tommy, staring at him for a moment before turning away and opening the front door. "I know you're happy to help, Tommy. I just need a little time to adjust and to…mourn. Thanks again though. Really. I don't know where we'd be right now if you hadn't welcomed us the way you did."

He nodded and followed her inside. "I know there's a ton going on with you right now, Kim, but I've been promised by the Dino rangers that they'll do whatever you need them to. They're good kids; I think they'll be a huge help getting you and the kids used to Reefside. You actually met Conner and Kira yesterday at Hayley's."

"Once a ranger, always a ranger," observed Kim as she strode down the hallway to one of the guest rooms. She pulled back the covers and lay Macy down in to bed. Placing a kiss on her baby girl's cheek, Kim tucked the blankets around her three year old. "Night honey," she whispered. "Sleep well." She and Tommy exited again and crossed the hall to Tommy's living room in the back of the house. Nate lay sleeping in his car seat. Kim rocked him gently.

--

Kira Ford pulled into Conner's driveway the next morning at nine o'clock sharp. He had evidently been waiting for her to arrive, as he bolted out of the front door barely one minute later. He was sporting a red T-shirt, his black leather jacket with the red and white stripes, and jeans. It was a very Conner sort of outfit, his typical attire when they'd been rangers, and Kira wondered idly if Conner would ever change. She decided he wouldn't, and it was always nice to have a constant fixture you knew you could count on.

"So you did show up," joked Conner. "I'm very proud of you for deciding not to ditch, Kira. It can't be that bad, especially as you have my sparkling presence to help you endure writing your name three hundred times."

Kira managed a laugh. "Like you said yesterday, it's all just the price of stardom. It's really good to know that so many people like my music. And it's only for a few hours. There are plenty or worse ways to blow a few hours." This was, in fact, the very same mantra she'd repeated about twenty times on the way to the McKnight home.

She could see that Conner was grinning at her from the corner of her eye. "Nice pep talk, Kira. But I guess it worked for you, so I can't really say anything about it."

Kira nodded her head in agreement and maneuvered her car into a parking spot near the mall's front entrance. "Come on. Let's get this over with before I have the chance to change my mind."

Conner put a hand on the small of her back, gently urging his yellow ranger forward. "Whoa," he muttered in awe as he saw a huge crowd of people lining up in the front entrance of the mall. "Wonder why all these people are lining up."

And then they saw it: a huge yellow and black banner with Kira's name in giant bubble letters. In the center of the banner was a massive picture of Kira's face, and she was painfully reminded of the last time the mall had been graced by a rising star.

"Looks like they're waiting for you, Kira," said Conner, keeping his hand on her back and leading her through the crowd. A stressed looking blond girl with a name tag reading Samantha darted forward to meet them.

"Thank God. They're starting to riot," she claimed, grabbing Kira's wrist and pulling her though the throng of people screaming Kira's name faster than Kira could keep up with her. "Sit," said Samantha, shoving her into a little chair behind a black booth. "Get ready to sign thousands of autographs."

Kira waved the first fan up with a fake smile on her face. "Can you sign this to Katie?" asked the little girl, waving her picture of Kira around excitedly. The rising star nodded and signed her name. Conner joined his friend a moment later, trying to keep the grin off of his face. Poor Kira. She already looked exhausted.

"Will your boyfriend sign it, too?" questioned Katie, pointing at the red ranger.

"He's not-" started Kira, but Conner interrupted her.

"Of course I'll sign it," he replied, taking the pen from Kira.

--

The rest of the morning didn't fare much better. "I'm so sorry for dragging you along on this, Con," Kira said apologetically. "You must have been bored out of your mind."

"Naw," he protested. "It wasn't your fault. And anyway, it was kind of cute how that little girl thought that I was your boyfriend."

'_Wish I was,' _thought Conner.

"It was funny," agreed Kira, wishing the same thing that Conner was.


	6. The Funeral

**Second Chances **

Jason's funeral was held the next week. Tommy refused to let Kim see him cry; he could do that in privacy once he returned to Reefside. Instead, he merely sat next to her, little Nate in his arms, ready to be a shoulder to cry on if she needed him to be. On Kim's left, Macy's big brown eyes were welling up with tears. She may have been only three years old, but she understood Daddy wasn't coming home anymore. It hurt Tommy to see his "niece" like that, and he knew whatever pain he felt at Macy's tears that Kim was hurting ten times as much.

Most of the other red rangers showed up, at least the ones Jason had met during the mission to the moon five years prior, and out of respect for their fallen comrade they wore deep red dress shirts. It was a nice gesture, and Kim seemed a tiny bit comforted by it. Tommy found her hand as the pastor's words about Jason continued, stating how he'd been a brave man dedicated to the Angel Grove Police Department and to his wife and two children. But they were just words, no matter how kind and well intentioned. Tommy was of the opinion that you would never be able to truly describe Jason until you'd seen him in action- not as a police officer but at the original red power ranger.

Kim turned her gaze away as the coffin was lowered, unable to restrain her tears any longer. She scooped Macy up into her arms, holding her baby girl close and burying her face in Macy's soft brown hair. Tommy heard Kimberly sniffle as she stopped crying into her daughter's tresses. Her brown eyes were red rimmed once more. Tommy wanted to hold her and stop her tears from falling, but he knew now was not the time. She wiped her tears and shakily managed to thank everyone for making the effort to come. Macy wailed in her seat next to Tommy.

Tommy stood with Kim, Nate still securely in his arms, nodding at those who slowly filed past to pay their final respects. He recognized nearly all of them and realized with the urge to grin that Jason had never stopped saving lives. Too bad he hadn't been able to save his own, Tommy added, half bitterly and half sadly, remorsefully. Jason had been his best friend, and after years of fighting Rita and the Machine Empire, it just seemed like a waste of a life to die in a car wreck. It was terribly sad, was what it was.

Conner, Kira and Ethan joined Tommy and what remained of the Scott family, Conner's arm around Kira's shoulders. The yellow ranger's eyes looked suspiciously watery, despite the fact that she had never met Jason. "Hi Kim," Kira said softly. "Are you going to be alright? Do you want me to find some tissues for you?"

Kim shook her head and managed to smile weakly at the younger woman who shared the pterodactyl with her. "Oh no thank you Kira. I'm fine, I really am. But thanks for your offer; it was really sweet."

Kira nodded. "Not a problem. The service was nice." It struck her that her statement sounded so adult…so beyond her twenty years of age. She hadn't known Jason, that was true, but to be attending the funeral of another who had held not only one put two different ranger powers was going to have an impact on her life; she could just sense it. Though she'd been through much as a ranger herself, she knew there was still a bit of childhood innocence attached to her, and to Conner and Ethan as well. Her fallen comrade changed this.

Macy was still wailing. "I want my daddy," she cried, huge alligator tears splashing down her face. "Make him come back, Mommy." Macy climbed out of her seat and waddled to Kimberly, seizing a handful of the black material Kim's skirt was made of and hiding in it. "Please, Mommy."

Kim knelt down and pulled her daughter into her arms. "I wish I could make him come back, baby. Believe me, I wish I could." She gently scrubbed away Macy's tears and stroked her hair softly, calming her little girl down. "Mommy's gonna take care of you and Natie, don't you worry. Everything is going to work out just fine."

Conner, Kira and Ethan, feeling a little out of place as Tommy knelt and hugged Macy too, started slowly towards Conner's red Jeep. "Poor kid," murmured Ethan to his two friends. "I mean, she's what? Three years old?" Kira sighed and leaned against Conner in support as the three continued on.

"Poor Kim," said Conner. "Dr. O said she thinks it's her fault that Jason had that accident. They were having a fight and he left to get some air. She's not gonna forgive herself any time soon."

"She looks so devastated," agreed Kira, who had taken a liking to the first pink ranger. "Like she's not going to be happy ever again."

Conner stopped for a moment and looked back at his former mentor and science teacher. "I know Dr. O is sad too, but I also know that he's still in love with Kim. He has a second chance now, doesn't he?"

"You think he's still in love with her?" asked Ethan. Conner bobbed his head and started again. Kira could see the wheels grinding in Ethan's head.

"Should we try to get them back together?" asked the blue ranger, rubbing his hands together and a hint of his manic self in his tone. "I think Dr. O deserves it, don't you?"

"Kim is in mourning for her dead husband, you dolt," hissed Kira. "Give her some time before you get involved with her life and start playing matchmaker."

"Aw, Kir," said Conner, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "We'll be subtle. Don't worry your pretty little head about what me and Ethan are gonna do to get Dr. O some much needed and well deserved happiness."

Kira felt her face flush when Conner told her she was pretty. "I'm quite astonished that you used the word subtle correctly, Conner," she teased, hoping no one would notice the splashes of red on her cheeks. Conner grinned cheekily and unlocked the car doors.

"I got me some of that college learning, Kira," he replied.

"Oh shut up," said Kira as she climbed into the front seat. "And really, you two, if you insist on playing around and fixing up Dr. O and Kim, at least wait a few weeks. Give her the time she needs to grieve for Jason."

"You're no fun, Kira," put in Ethan. "And we're not stupid. Well, I'm not stupid anyway. We'll be sneaky with it. I promise."

"Good," Kira said firmly. "I mean it. Not until at least the end of next month. Kim should have as much time as she needs to, am I perfectly clear?"

Conner and Ethan nodded. "I think we get it, Kira," said Conner. "But now that Kim's our neighbor, we should invite her out somewhere. How about the beach, Ethan?" The red ranger glanced in the rearview mirror to see a crafty smile on his blue counterpart's face.

"Babes in bikinis? Sounds great to me," remarked Ethan. "I'm so there."

'


	7. The Beach

**Second Chances **

Kim and Tommy started packing up the stuff from the Angel Grove house a few days after Jason's funeral. It was a quick job, as Kim decided not to keep most of the possessions she had, taking only what remained of her, Macy and Nate's clothing, the kids' toys and a few boxes filled with her gymnastics trophies and photo albums.

"I just want a completely fresh start," Kim explained to Kira, Conner and Ethan as the three arrived to help out. "I just want pictures and clothes and the kids' stuff. Toss everything else, please." With that, Kim took Macy by the hand and took her down the hall to pack up some of her toys.

Kira looked after the original pink ranger sadly. "Poor Kim. She's trying so hard to be strong for her kids and she's slowly falling apart. I wish there was something we could do for her besides helping her move." The yellow ranger started wrapping a silver picture frame in newspaper, looking at the photo of Jason and Kim on their wedding day intently.

Conner nodded and scrubbed a hand through his shaggy chocolate brown hair. "I know. But really, Kira, there is some way we can help her. We're getting her and Dr. O back together again, remember?" He took the wrapped photo and put it into one of the giant cardboard boxes Kim had supplied for them. Kira stared at her friend.

"I seriously hope you two aren't going to do anything too stupid on our trip to the beach this weekend. She's grieving for Jason, remember?" The yellow ranger looked at her former teammates, her expression stern. "I mean it, alright? She's hurting."

Ethan grinned. "Who better than to come galloping to her rescue than her old flame, one Dr. Tommy Oliver? It's perfect, Kira. Really it is. You're a girl; you should approve of all this romantic junk we're doing on Dr. O's behalf."

"I'm not saying Dr. O shouldn't be happy, especially with Kim. He deserves it, and so does she. I agree with the two of you on that count. All I'm advising is that you let her take the times she needs to miss her husband and adjust to her life in Reefside."

"Oh relax, would you?" replied Ethan as he placed another pile of photos in the box. "We will. She'll have all the time she could possibly want to adjust. All Conner and I are going to do is subtly hint that Dr. O is still in love with her. You know, plant the seeds of romance in her mind."

The other two stared at the blue ranger. "'Plant to seeds of romance?'" quoted Conner. "Ethan, are you smoking something? What the hell does that mean, anyway?"

Ethan shrugged. "It was in one of Cassidy's stupid romance novels. I didn't have anything else to read. And you got the point, didn't you? That we're going to play matchmaker for a few weeks and then let them see what happens. No big deal."

"I just hope you know what you're doing," said Kira.

--

The Scotts, Tommy, Hayley, and the trio of rangers all crowded into Kim's white van the next Saturday morning. It was a very noisy affair as the group of eight people headed down to the Reefside beach.

Upon arrival, Conner and Tommy opened the back of the van to where the picnic gear had been stashed. The two each took one end of the huge red cooler and began lugging it down to the sandy beach.

Ethan and Hayley followed, each toting a pink and green striped beach blanket. Kimberly took Nate down to the sand in his car seat, and Kira was put in charge of the three year old Macy, who still wasn't quite herself according to Kim and Tommy. But she had brightened when told they were going to spend a nice day at the beach.

"Come on Kira!" she shrieked, pulling Kira's hand in the direction of the beach. "Come on!" Kira couldn't help but smile at the little girl's sudden enthusiasm.

"I'm coming," assured Kira. "How about we race each other over to where Ethan and Hayley are setting up our beach blankets?" she asked, using her patient voice.

"Deal!" exclaimed Macy. She promptly released Kira's hand and took off down the tiny set of stairs leading down to the sand. Macy giggled hysterically as she ran to where her mother sat, gently rubbing sunscreen on Nate's round face and chubby neck and arms. Kira followed suit, though without the giggles.

"I won," announced Macy as Kim began applying the sun block to her daughter as well. "Do I get a prize, Kira?" she asked hopefully. Kira saw Kim smile slightly at Macy's regained bright personality. Kira started to shake her head when Conner came over and scooped the little girl into his arms and promptly began tickling her mercilessly.

"This is your prize," he said loudly over her shrieks of laughter. "A tickle from Uncle Conner." With that he swung her up onto his shoulders and began racing around the beach, earning harder laughter from Macy.

"He's never going to grow up," observed Hayley as she joined Kim on the blanket. "He's just a big kid at heart, and he always will be."

"He always pulled through when we needed him to," said Kira defensively. "He was a good ranger when it came down to it. Who cares if he's just a dork who likes to enjoy himself?"

Kimberly and Hayley exchanged knowing looks. "Ah young love," said Hayley, pulling her sunglasses from their perch atop her head and covering her eyes with them. "I remember when I would stick up for the boys I liked that intensely."

"Don't go away for your career, Kira," said Kim seriously, rocking Nate's car seat a little bit. "I still kick myself for letting myself go to Florida and breaking up with Tommy. I think that was the biggest mistake I ever made. It ended up just fine because I fell in love with Jason, but I'll never forgive myself for letting Tommy go."

"Really?" asked Kira nonchalantly. Kim nodded. Kira filed this information away and made a mental note to tell Conner and Ethan.

"I'm starving," called Conner as he and Macy rejoined the others, the latter looking the happiest she'd been since she'd been told of her father's death. "Let's eat lunch." Conner popped the lid of the cooler open and took out one of the sandwiches Kim had made. He opened the other compartment, the one with the drinks, and pulled out sodas for everyone.

Ethan and Tommy abandoned their game of Frisbee and sank down to the beach blanket. "Pass me some. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," Ethan said matter of factly.

The seven had a lunch of sandwiches, soda and chips, joking around as they ate. Then Kim gave Nate a jar of baby food and Macy announced she wanted to build a sandcastle. Tommy and Ethan volunteered to help, and then Hayley stretched out and fell asleep.

"Hey Kir," said Conner, "You ever been in that cave over there?"

Kira shook her head. "You want to go explore it, don't you?" Conner bobbed his head. "Let's go then." She stood and out on her black flip flops again. She gathered her black and yellow purse, checked that her silver phone was still inside, and brushed herself off.

"You having a good time so far?" asked Conner as they headed to the cave.

"I am. I haven't been to the beach for a long time. I'd forgotten how nice it is." She thought for a moment. "You looked like you were having fun playing with Macy."

"I like kids," Conner replied as they reached the mouth of the cave. "I always have." He ventured forward a few feet and Kira followed.

"I gathered that much," teased the yellow ranger. The walls of the cave were wet, from the recent high tide was Kira's guess. Then the cavern emitted a long moaning sort of sound, and Kira, not expecting this, jumped.

The jumping made her collide with Conner, who reached out to steady her. The groaning sound came again and Kira jumped slightly for the second time.

"Jeez Kira," said Conner lightly. "You're not scared, are you?"

"This place is creepy," protested Kira. Conner took this as an invitation to wrap his arms around her.

"Aw Kir, I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he said softly. Kira looked up at him, her brown gaze locking with his. She found herself leaning in towards him. And he was coming closer as well…

"Kira!" shouted an all too familiar voice.


	8. Seashells and Scrapes

**Second Chances **

Kira jumped again, but not because of the cavern's groaning. She and Conner turned towards the cave mouth, both knowing exactly what they were to find. Conner had never been less happy to hear his former teammate's voice in the three years he had known him.

The figure was dark haired and wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. He stepped into the cave and Conner had a strong urge to punch the intruder. Trent Fernandez-Mercer looked from Kira to Conner and back to Kira again.

"Kira," repeated Trent, moving towards them. "I'm back. We can get back together. Come on, let's go talk." He took hold of Kira's wrist, looking to pull her away from Conner.

"Hold it, Trent," growled Conner, tightening his grip on his yellow ranger. He stepped away from Trent. "You two broke up."

"We took time off," corrected Trent. "And I fail to see what business of it is of yours, Conner." Conner let go of Kira and balled his hand into a fist. Kira put her hand on his and looked at him.

"Let me handle this, Conner," she said quietly. She stared Trent in the eye. "Get lost."

Trent looked stunned. "But Kira, sweetie…I made my decision. I want you, not Emma. I love you, and only you, Kira. Come back to New York with me. We'll fix everything and it'll be serious. I know you and I work together. Forget Reefside. New York is where your career is, not this little hole-in-the-wall town."

"Get lost, Trent," Kira repeated. "I don't want you. I don't want anything to do with you anymore, Trent. You're not supportive of my music at all; everything always has to be about you and your art. You were so different before we got together; you're completely opposite the Trent I used to know. You made your choice."

"You're my choice, Kira," said Trent softly. "You want supportive? I'll be your cheerleader. I'll be whatever you need me to be. Just please say you'll come back home with me."

"Reefside is home," Kira said. "And as far as I'm concerned, you aren't welcome here, not anymore. Come on, Conner, let's go back to the beach."

Conner followed Kira as she brushed past the former white ranger, stopping to shoot Trent a smug smile. "You snooze you lose," said Conner lightly. "Go cry to your other girlfriend, Trent."

Trent glared at Conner. "I'm going to get Kira back, Conner. Just you wait and see. I mean it. She's mine." Conner just laughed as he headed out back to the bright sunshine and hot sand that was Reefside Beach.

"If that were true she wouldn't have just blown you off, would she?"

Kira knelt down by Macy, Tommy, and Ethan, who were still molding wet sand into a sand castle. "Looks good so far," she praised as she started forming a tower for the castle. "I used to do this when I was a little kid, too."

Conner joined the group, his brown eyes still on the retreating white figure that was Trent Fernandez-Mercer. "Ha," he said triumphantly as Trent reached the parking lot and climbed into his car. "Way to tell him off, Kir."

Tommy and Ethan were looking at Conner and Kira expectantly. "Well what was that about?" asked Ethan interestedly. "He looked plenty miffed."

"He decided he wanted to make things work with me instead of that other girl. I told him to get lost and go back to New York," explained Kira.

"Scum," declared Conner.

"Can't blame him for trying, though," said Kim as she approached the sand castle with Nate balanced on her hip. "Kira's a great catch."

"Thank you, Kim," replied the yellow ranger. "That was a very nice thing to say." Kira absently patted the tower of sand she'd constructed and realized what the castle was missing. "Seashells."

"Seashells?" asked Macy. "Why shells?"

"To decorate the castle, Macy. Let's go find some, Kir," put in Conner. Kira nodded and shot him a tiny smile.

Ethan laughed. "Mmm hmm," he said knowingly. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, you two!" he yelled after them. Conner and Kira chose to ignore this comment.

"It's a nice day," observed Kira for a change of subject. "Nice and sunny. We should do this more often." Conner couldn't say anything; he was too mesmerized by the sunlight catching Kira's honey colored waves and making them sparkle to think of anything coherent. He was glad for the knowledge that Kira was definitely over Trent.

They were walking along the sea's edge now, water lapping against their ankles. Kira bent down and took off her sandals. Conner did the same. "Look, Kira," he said, holding up an unbroken seashell in a delicate shade of pink. "This one's perfect. For the castle I meant."

"It's nice," agreed Kira. "Macy'll love it." She and Conner continued along the water's edge, letting the waves crash against them and occasionally stopping to pick up a shell for the castle. A particularly strong wave caused Kira to lose her balance, but lucky for her Conner managed to get a firm grip on her waist.

"Told you I'd never let anything happen to you, Kira," he said sincerely. He fought the urge to kiss her.

"I know you wouldn't, Con," she replied softly, embarrassed by her sudden clumsiness. What was wrong with her today? First getting creeped out by the moaning cave and now falling all over herself into Conner's arms…Kira didn't like this damsel in distress nonsense.

He straightened her up and released her. "Um…it was really cool how you stuck up for yourself with Trent," Conner told her. "I was proud to see you take care of yourself. I mean, I always knew you could take care of yourself, but…" his voice trailed off and he decided to just get it over with. "Look, you maybe wanna grab dinner tonight? At the little Italian place near Hayley's? Their food is fantastic. Course, I understand if you don't want to, but…"

"I would love to have dinner with you, Conner. Italian food is my favorite." Kira felt her heart beating at what felt like twice its normal speed.

"Cool," grinned Conner. "I'll pick you up at seven?"

"Sure."

With that, Conner and Kira headed back to the rest of their friends. Macy rushed forward to meet them. "Shells!" she exclaimed. "The castle needs to be pretty. Uncle Ethan made a flag, but we need the shells."

Conner held out his cupped hands, offering the seashells to the little girl. "Here you go, Macy. Knock your socks off." Kira laughed. Macy ran back to the castle and started sticking the shells into the sand.

"You're great with kids, you know. Are you still going to do that after school soccer program for the kids? You really should. You'd teach them a ton. I mean it."

Conner sighed. "I want to, I really do. I want the underprivileged kids to have a place to go where it's safe and they learn to do something constructive. It's just a matter of money. I just don't have enough yet, but I still hope it'll work out."

"It's a real bummer about the money," said Kira. "But good for you to stick with it, Conner. That's a sign of ambition. And I'm sure it'll happen."

"Thanks Kir," replied Conner as Nate began wailing. Kim picked her son up, rocking him gently and humming. Tommy looked like he'd never seen anything cuter in his life and Ethan, disgusted, busied himself with helping Macy.

"Ready to call it a day?" asked Hayley as she waddled over to them, her whole body sun burnt. "Ow," she muttered. "Please say yes. I'm a tomato as it is." Kim looked up from Nate.

"I think so. Nate's getting fussy. Let's load up."

Conner took the last seashell, the perfect pink one, and pocketed it. "The next time I see you, Macy, this will be a necklace for you, OK? It's a very pretty color, and no one else will ever have one exactly like it."

"OK, Uncle Conner," agreed Macy. She took off towards the parking lot again. And then the beach was filled with the sounds of a wailing little girl as she fell down on the asphalt and scraped her knee.

Conner started to go to her, but Tommy got to his "niece" first, scooping her up in his arms and cradling her against his chest. "Shh," he soothed. "It's OK, Macy. Let me clean you up. It'll be just fine, I promise."

Kimberly took out a Band Aid from Nate's diaper bag, as well as some peroxide. "Always come prepared," she said. She opened the back of the van so Tommy could fix Macy's cut.

"It'll sting," he warned her. "Only for a moment though." Tommy dipped a cotton ball in the peroxide and gently dabbed at Macy's scrape. He put a Band Aid on it, and then placed a kiss on her forehead. "All better."

Kim smiled.


	9. Good Things Come to an End

**Second Chances**

Kira Ford was completely irritated with herself. She was actually fussing over herself and the state of her appearance. This wasn't who she was, not at all. But there she was, surrounded by a pile of clothes in her bedroom at her parents' house, trying to decide what to wear on her date with Conner.

And was it even a date? Conner had looked so…pleased…when she had accepted his dinner invitation, but that didn't necessarily mean he wanted to consider having dinner together a date. But he had been about to kiss her earlier that afternoon in the cave, of that Kira was certain. And as the restaurant was a more formal place, maybe she _should_ dress up a little bit. There couldn't be any harm.

She decided on the black dress she had worn when her parents had renewed their vows. The dress was nice enough for the restaurant's standards but not revealing enough to give Conner the wrong impression if he didn't consider dinner a date. The dress she paired with a pair of heels (not too tall in case she suffered another sudden bout of clumsiness) and a sheer bright yellow wrap for her shoulders. There. Nothing wrong with that.

Kira turned to the mirror and began applying what little make up she wore, thinking about Conner and the problems he was still having setting up the after school program. She wished she could find some way to help him. Maybe she should offer to sponsor him once her CD was released and she had some cash coming in. Or would that be rude and insulting? Kira pondered this until precisely seven o'clock, when the doorbell rang.

"Kira, honey," called her mother's voice, "There's a very cute young man down here to see you."

Kira looked at herself in the mirror one last time and took her purse off of the nightstand. "I'm on my way!" she called back.

"Hey, Kir," greeted Conner from the entryway. Kira's heart skipped a beat, much as she hated herself for going all ga-ga for anyone. But he did look nice, in a deep red button down shirt and black pants, and Kira was always happy to see him with that cheeky grin she loved so much.

"You clean up nicely, Conner," she replied. "Let's get going. I'll be back in a few hours, Mom!" she yelled to her mother, who had since disappeared.

"My lady," joked Conner as he followed Kira outside. "Your chariot."

"Oh stop," Kira protested half heartedly as Conner insisted on opening the car door for her. "I can handle myself, you know." But secretly she was pleased and flattered that Conner was going out of his way to be such a gentleman.

"After how clumsy you were at the beach today? No way am I letting you hurt yourself in those things you call shoes," retorted Conner. He took her elbow. "Up you go."

He helped her into the car and went around to the driver's side. The engine purred to life and then silence fell over the two. "Music?" he asked softly a few moments later, reaching for the radio dial. Kira nodded and then closed her eyes, only to open them a moment later as "Freak You Out" started to play yet again. Conner noticed Kira staring at the radio in disbelief.

"Sorry, Kira," he said, leaning over to turn it off. "I'm sure you don't want to think about work right now." He flashed an apologetic smile at the former yellow ranger. She sighed.

"It's not your fault."

"But still. You're on vacation, and I know it has to be kind of exciting to hear your song on the radio, but I was trying to make sure you get the break you deserve. Let's just go eat."

Kira flashed a smile at Conner. How sweet that he wanted her to get a proper vacation come hell or high water. She felt her heart melting and felt another stab of annoyance towards Trent for interrupting them earlier.

Conner parked the car outside of the restaurant and signaled for Kira to stay seated until he'd come around and opened the door for her. "You're making me a pile of mush, Conner McKnight," she said to herself.

Conner took Kira by the hand, being both firm and gentle at the same time. "I really am sorry about the radio thing, Kira." His brown eyes were sad as they looked down at her, simply begging for forgiveness over something he couldn't possibly control.

"Oh Conner," Kira sighed. "Forget it. I'm fine. I promise. We should still have a nice dinner together and put it behind us like it never even happened."

"OK." He opened the restaurant's door. "After you, Kira." He followed her inside. To the hostess he said, "McKnight, table for two."

The hostess stared at Conner for a moment, awestruck. Then she shut her mouth. "Yes, of course. Right this way." She led the two over to one of the tables in a fairly secluded part of the restaurant. "Here you are. Your hostess will be right out."

"Thank you," said Conner. The hostess fought to keep her face straight.

"Of course." She put down two menus and walked away. Kira stared at Conner.

"You were dazzling her, McKnight," teased Kira. "How unfair for her"

Conner shrugged and scrubbed a hand through his shaggy chocolate brown locks. "It happens, Kira," he said nonchalantly. He grinned cheekily at her. "And you do it too. All of the other guys in here turned their heads when you walked by."

Kira blushed. "You flatter me," she said, hoping he didn't notice the splashes of red on her cheeks. She studied her menu.

Conner opened his as well. "Everything here is absolutely delicious. I always have a hard time ordering," he told her, looking over the top of the menu at her. She lowered hers slightly, meeting his gaze.

"I'm sure I'll manage," she replied as a tall brunette approached their table. "Can I take your order?" the waitress asked, staring at Conner the way the hostess had.

"I'll have fettuccini Alfredo and an iced tea," said Kira.

"Make that two," added Conner, handing both menus over to the waitress. She managed a nod, still looking flustered.

She strode back to the kitchens, fanning herself with one of the menus. Conner chuckled after her. "Some girls," he said airily.

Kira smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Course, neither of them was as pretty as you, Kir," Conner said earnestly, reaching across the table for her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "_I've _got the prettiest girl in here." Kira felt her heart skip another beat at Conner's words. Maybe this was intended to be a date.

"Thank you Conner," responded Kira after she remembered her manners. "That was a nice thing to tell me." _'Take that,' _she added in her head.

And then silence except for the low music the restaurant was playing, something jazzy and smooth. "You know, it was also the truth, Kira," Conner said a few minutes later. "You look so beautiful. I'm surprised no one's taking your picture."

Kira felt her cheeks warming again. She wasn't sure she could trust herself to reply to his statement, so she just beamed at him in response.

The waitress came back with two plates and two cups and promptly left again, but not before shooting Kira a nasty sort of look. "Cheers, Conner," Kira said loudly, holding up the glass with the iced tea. He obliged.

The red and yellow rangers fell into a conversation consisting of small talk as they ate their meals, and every so often would smile secretly at the other.

"You know what would be fun, Kira?" Conner asked after she'd finished her pasta. "Dancing would be fun."

Kira stared. "Dancing?" she questioned. "Why dancing?"

Conner smiled that cheeky grin. "To make everyone stare at us, of course."

She liked that idea, and she told him so. They both stood up, and Conner reached for her hand again. She allowed him to take it, and they fell into the rhythm of the music in the background, eyes on no one but each other. They were attracting stares from both male and female diners, and Kira was actually enjoying the attention. _'And he's all mine,'_ she thought, unable to keep from grinning.

--

"That was a lot of fun, Kira. We should do it again some time, right?" Conner said as they walked out of the restaurant.

Kira bobbed her head. "We should. That was a blast. The waitress was glaring at me, wasn't she?"

Conner chuckled lightly as he tucked a strand of Kira's honey brown hair behind her ear. "She had good reason though," he said, his tone amused. "She saw who you were with."

"Always the vain jock, aren't we?" she teased, stopping in her tracks and facing him. Two pairs of brown eyes met, and then Conner leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, softly at first and then more intensely as Kira moved her hands up into his hair, balling them into fists in the shaggy brown locks to pull him closer.

"Conner," she breathed when they had pulled apart. "Conner."

"I-I shouldn't have done that," he whispered. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, I'm glad that you did. It means that now we have to talk about…us."

"Let's go somewhere else. Back to your house, maybe, or mine."

"My parents are out. We wouldn't be interrupted," Kira said.

Conner nodded and opened the car door for her again. "All right. Let's go."

--

As Conner guided his Jeep into the Fords' driveway, the headlights illuminated a figure standing near the house. "Trent," hissed Conner viciously. "Didn't he get it when you told him to get lost?"

"I'll handle it, Con," Kira replied, climbing out of Conner's car. To the white ranger she said, "What are you doing here? I told you I didn't want anything to do with you."

"Kira, baby," said Trent, holding out two things he'd hidden behind his back, one being a bouquet of sunflowers and the other a red velvet box. "I'm sorry. I got you this really nice diamond necklace…" He handed her the flowers and cracked open the box. "Look. _He _could never afford to buy you anything like this, and you know it. You deserve to be with someone who can give you the world, and Kira, I can do just that."

Conner's hands balled into fists. Kira grabbed on to one of them, dropping the sunflowers. "Conner, don't. he's not worth it." She turned to the white ranger. "You made your choice, Trent. Go away. I don't want anything to do with you. You need to leave."

Trent looked from the red ranger to the yellow ranger and back again. "No, you made _your_ choice. If you think you're going to be happy with McKnight, who can't even afford a pair of shoes, then go ahead and take him. You'll come crawling back." He slunk down the driveway, leaving the flowers and necklace behind.

Kira looked at Conner, ready to apologize about Trent. But Conner was already opening the car door and getting inside. "Conner," she called, her tone hurt, but he just shook his head.

"He's right, Kira. You deserve someone who can give you the world." He started the engine and backed out, leaving Kira in tears.


	10. Broken Fairy Tale

**Second Chances**

Tommy walked into his kitchen on Sunday morning, yawning loudly. The first thing his weary eyes focused on was Kim standing at the stove, flipping pancakes with the ancient blue plastic spatula. She was wearing a pink terrycloth bathrobe, her brown hair pulled up into a high bouncy ponytail. She spun around when she heard Tommy enter the kitchen, her expression the absolute happiest Tommy had seen her since she arrived in Reefside.

"Good morning," she chirped. "Breakfast is almost ready. There's a fresh pot of coffee." Tommy nodded and started towards the counter, rubbing his forehead wearily. "No, Tommy, go sit down. I'll get it," Kim said, gently pushing him towards the old wooden kitchen table. Tommy folded himself onto one of the chairs and noticed a yellow pad of paper on the placemat. The top piece was filled with facts and figures and bullet notes, all in Kim's loopy scrawl.

"What's this?" he asked Kim as she brought him a mug of coffee. She shushed him and returned to the post in front of the stove.

"I'll explain once breakfast is ready," she said. She made a stack of three pancakes on one of Tommy's plates. Tommy slurped at his coffee and looked over at Kim, who was now piling bacon on the plate as well.

"Kim, really, you don't have to do all of this," Tommy said quietly as she brought the breakfast plate over to him. She sat down in the chair opposite his.

"I know I don't have to, Tommy," Kim replied. "But I want to, and don't talk me out of it. It's really the least I can do after everything you've done for me and my kids." She reached for the pad of paper. "And I've finally figured out what I'm going to do here in Reefside."

Tommy paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. "And what's that?" he questioned, his expression curious as his warm brown eyes gazed into hers.

"I am going to open a gymnastics center, just like the one at home in Angel Grove. Except I won't have the juice bar, because that would be intruding on Hayley's territory."

"A gymnastics center," repeated Tommy.

Kim bobbed her head excitedly. "Primarily a place to practice, just like at Ernie's. Maybe offer a few classes, just to bring in some extra money once everything gets going. And a karate area too," she added thoughtfully.

"Well, that's quite ambitious, Kim," Tommy commented as he continued to bring the fork closer to his mouth. He swallowed what was speared on his fork and then took a sip of coffee. "Really it is. And if there's anything else I can do to help you out, let me know."

"Thanks, Tommy, but you've done enough for me as it is. Any assistance I might need from you will be limited, I assure you." She was still beaming happily as she scanned the notes she'd made. "Once I get the house in Angel Grove sold I'll be able to start looking for premises."

"Hayley might know," Tommy offered. "About finding a location, I mean. She did find that spot for her café, and look at how crowded her place always is. I'm sure she'd be happy to help you out, Kim. In fact, I know she would. We'll go by her place tomorrow."

"That would be great. You see, Tommy, you're helping me out already." Kim stood and returned to the stove, pouring more pancake batter onto the frying pan. Tommy stacked his dirty dishes into the sink, looking out of the small window into the back yard.

"Maybe we should think about one of those playground things for the yard. For Macy. She'd like one of those," Tommy said thoughtfully. He started to rinse his plate, still studying the back yard.

"That's sweet, Tommy, but I don't want to start taking over your house. And letting Macy have her own playground in your yard definitely falls under that category. We're only going to be around for a few more weeks, anyway. I'll be out of your hair soon."

"You make it sounds like I don't want you around, Kim. And you know that I do. I love having the three of you here, you know it. So don't try to pull that on me. Stay here as long as you need to."

Kim was saved from answering Tommy by Macy, who toddled into the kitchen with her chestnut brown hair tangled and messy and her eyes tired. "Mommy, what you cookin'?" she asked sleepily.

"Pancakes, honey," replied Kim as she expertly flipped some onto another plate. "Have Uncle Tommy cut these up for you, all right?" Tommy obeyed and settled Macy in at the table.

"Thank you Uncle Tommy," Macy chirped sweetly. She looked so very much like her mother, Tommy reflected as he nodded in response to Macy's statement. It was easy to see why Jason had adored his only little girl.

Kimberly began warming a bottle of formula. "I'm going to get Natie up," she announced after checking the temperature of the bottle. "I'll be back soon. And Macy, stop playing with your food. Eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

Macy obliged and popped a few bites of pancake into her mouth, still managing to smile and make Tommy be reminded of Kim. He wondered vaguely if Macy would end up in one of the gymnastics classes that Kim wanted to teach.

--

Kira took one final look around the yellow bedroom in her parents' home, making certain she hadn't forgotten any of her belongings. She seem to have remembered everything, and she'd rid herself of Trent's lavish (and worthless in her eyes) gifts the night he had given them to her, hating her ex-boyfriend with an intense passion. Why did he have to ruin what had seemed like a new relationship with Conner? Why did he have to make Conner feel so inadequate?

Conner wouldn't even talk to her now, but it wasn't for lack of trying on Kira's part. All she had managed to get out of him was a repeat of what he'd told her Saturday night, that she deserved better than him. He'd hung up on her before she could even protest about how money didn't matter to her and that she wanted him and no one else.

So, heart broken and unable to stand being in Reefside for any longer, Kira had called the airline and booked the next flight back to New York City. She told her parents a lie about some last minute work for the CD, and she'd arranged for Ethan to drop her at the airport.

The rising star heaved an enormous sigh as she glanced at her bedroom mirror. She told herself in the fiercest tone she could manage that she was not to cry, to keep a straight face, and to stop thinking that she was making a mistake by leaving Reefside without fixing things with her red ranger.

Outside of the Ford home, a car horn honked. She poked her head out of her yellow curtains and saw that Ethan was sitting outside in his car. He waved up at her. Kira returned the gesture and seized the handles of her two suitcases, pulling them across the floor of her bedroom and down the stairs. "My ride's here!" she yelled to her parents, who appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Bye honey. Good luck," said Mrs. Ford as Kira hugged her and Mr. Ford. Mr. Ford pecked the top of his daughter's head.

"I think they're working you too hard, Kira, but you've always made good choices. I'm not worried about you. Knock 'em dead."

Ethan honked the car horn again and Kira thanked her parents. She took a deep breath and walked out of her childhood home and down the path to the sidewalk. Ethan got out of his car and helped her put the suitcases in the trunk. He noticed how sad Kira's eyes were, but he didn't comment, merely offering one of his big toothy grins as a way of comfort.

"Can you do me another favor, Ethan, and stop by Conner's house on the way? I want to try and talk to him one last time before I leave."

"Sure, Kir," answered the blue ranger without a second's hesitation. Kira was reminded of exactly why she loved Ethan as a friend and brother: if there was some way to help someone he cared about, he did it, and there were no questions asked.

He turned off onto Conner's street, and then slowly slid to a stop in front of the McKnight home. "I'll wait until you come back and tell me everything's just peachy again," Ethan told her with a sly sort of smile. Kira smiled slightly at Ethan's words, hoping what he said was true.

The yellow ranger strode up to the house, her heart pounding in her chest at what felt like twice its normal speed. She rang the door bell and it opened a moment later. But the person who answered was not Conner, but Mrs. McKnight. "Is Conner home?" Kira asked, and she felt shy all of a sudden.

Mrs. McKnight shook her head. "I'm sorry, Kira, but Conner isn't feeling well right now. He's resting. Can I leave him a message from you?"

Kira's shoulders slumped. "No, there's nothing to tell him. Thanks, Mrs. McKnight."

Conner's mother smiled sadly at the yellow ranger. "I'm sorry you missed him, Kira."

Kira couldn't bring herself to reply, so she just waved half heartedly as she turned around and headed to Ethan's car. "No luck?" asked Ethan as Kira climbed back in. She shook her head and scrunched up her eyes, trying to keep herself from crying. Ethan gingerly patted her on the shoulder and started the car again, off to the Reefside airport.

--

Tommy sat with Conner, Macy, and Nate the next week at Hayley's, watching Kimberly and Hayley at a table close to theirs, chattering away about Kimberly's plans for the gymnastics center, each scribbling furiously on their note pads. But his attention was turned away from them when he noticed Macy sitting in Conner's lap and that Conner wasn't paying a bit of attention to the three year old. That made Tommy absolutely certain that something was troubling the younger man.

"Macy, why don't you go watch some TV?" asked Tommy, pointing at the big screen in one corner. Macy climbed off of Conner and raced off to the plump squashy sofa, seizing the remote and pressing all of the buttons. "All right, Conner, why did Kira really go back to New York? I thought the two of you were getting along fine and that you were even starting to date."

"We were," Conner spat bitterly. "We had a great time that Saturday. And we got back to her house and then Trent showed up with all these presents for her, saying how she deserved someone who could give her the world, and you know, Dr. O, he's right. Kira does deserve the best, and that's just not me."

Tommy raised his eyebrows. "I think you're wrong about that, Conner. I think Kira loves you just as much as you love her and that she doesn't care if you could give her the moon and the stars or not, because she wants you, not Trent. Don't let her get away from you Conner. I made the same mistake with Kimberly by not going to Florida and getting her back. I really don't want to see the same thing happen to you and Kira."

"This is different, Dr. O. You and Kim were made for each other, and don't tell me you weren't. But Kira and I aren't you and Kim. There isn't going to be a happily ever after."


	11. Location, Location, Location

**Second Chances**

Kim put the house in Angel Grove up for sale the week after she talked to Hayley in the café about future plans. She asked for the same amount she and Jason had bought the house for, and her real estate agent called two days later, practically out of breath with excitement.

"There's a couple offering three hundred and twenty thousands dollars for the house, Kim. They really want it, and I don't think they're going to give it up without a fight."

Kim's eyes widened. That was another twenty thousand more than what she had wanted for the house. "I'll come by tomorrow if you want to arranger a meeting," she told the agent, rather absently, as her mind was currently racing with new possibilities for the gymnastics center.

She hung up the phone, still marveling at the insane amount of money she'd been offered. Tommy walked into the kitchen holding Nate, Macy following closely behind. "Are you all right, Kim? You look like you've seen a ghost," commented Tommy as he put Nate in the high chair.

Kim nodded. "I just got a call from the real estate office. There's a couple that wants to buy the house for an additional twenty grand. I'll be able to afford any location I want for the gymnastics place, Tommy." Tommy could only smile at seeing his pink ranger so completely happy again, her old self restored.

"That's fantastic, Kim" Tommy said. "Really it is. We could go looking tomorrow if you want to. We'll leave the kids with Hayley, or maybe Conner." He noticed that he sounded as if he were Macy and Nate's father, using phrases like "The kids," and whatnot. He hoped that Kim hadn't thought this."

Kim could hardly retain her excitement. She picked Macy up, swinging her around, both Scott girls giggling, even though Macy, of course, had no idea what was really going on. One of Macy's hands clutched the pink seashell necklace that Conner had given her.

"Uncle Conner morrow," insisted the three year old. "Macy likes Uncle Conner."

"We'll see, Macy," replied her mother, ceasing the twirling around in the kitchen and sitting down in one of the ancient wooden chairs. "We'll have to see." But she let out a happy little squeal nevertheless.

Tommy watched mother and daughter with that same smile, wondering if Jason had ever watched Kim and Macy like this. He knew Jason had adored Kim and Macy, his girls as he fondly called them, but he didn't know if he had ever just sat in silence and watched them laugh together. His friend had never been able to keep quiet for long, as Tommy recalled. No doubt he would have seized Macy, his princess, and given her a piggy back ride or something of that nature.

Kim looked up from her baby girl and up into Tommy's tawny eyes. "Are you OK, Tommy? You looked kind of like…not yourself. Don't think too hard, all right?" There was a certain lightheartedness in her tone that made him know she was joking, but he could hear the underlying concern in her voice.

"Oh, I'm fine. I was just…wondering about something but I figured it out. No worries, Kim."

--

Kira was waiting outside her manager's office at the record label's headquarters, anxious. Chris Parker had called and said it was important that she get over yo him as soon as possible, that her life was never going to be the same ever again.

It already wasn't the same, Kira had thought after he'd hung up on her. Conner was still refusing to speak to her, and that hurt her. She wished there would be some way for him to stop being so stupid about the whole thing and realize that she wanted him and not Trent.

"Miss Ford, you can go in now," chirped the blond secretary. "He's waiting for you."

Kira nodded at the assistant and took a deep breath, gathering her bearings. Her CD was set to drop in two weeks. She hoped nothing had happened to set the date back.

"Kira, darling!" cried Chris, rushing forward and kissing both of her cheeks. Kira looked around her manager's office nervously, taking in all of the photos of the other artists he'd worked with over the years.

"Um, what exactly is going on?" asked Kira. She was ushered into one of the squashy black leather chairs placed around the office.

Chris plopped down in the chair opposite hers, looking at her with a face that said he was simply dying to tell Kira a secret. "Well, Kira my dear, your single is simply burning up the charts. We're going to let the CD out tomorrow instead of in two weeks, and the video is coming out on MTV today."

Kira felt her jaw drop. She was in shock. "MTV," she repeated slowly, staring at her agent. "Are you serious? MTV? Today?"

"Yes, that's right. Today in-" he checked his watch, "About one hour. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know, Kira. I have to get back to planning your debut tour. Just see yourself out, would you?"

The former yellow ranger got off of the chair and crossed the circular office to the door, listening as Chris started jabbering away on the phone to someone or other. She pulled her silver cell phone from her purse and punched in the number at her parents' home. She knew neither of them would be there, as it was before either of them got off of work, but by the time the video aired they would be. She left a message on the answering machine, and her voice was happy and there was a hint of pride in it as well.

She called Ethan and Hayley, and both of them promised to check it out. And, she thought as she walked down Madison Avenue, since she wasn't speaking to Trent and Hayley or Ethan would be sure to pass the news along to Dr. O and Kim, the only person left to call was Conner. Kira took another deep breath and dialed the number to Conner's cell phone.

Of course the voice mail picked up and the pain of being ignored by him struck at her again. "Look Conner," she began, "I know you're there. I don't want to talk about what happened with us and Trent right now. Just…call me. I need you. Please."

Kira hung up the phone and continued walking down the crowded New York sidewalk, thinking that in a few weeks there'd be no way she could remain anonymous. And that was exciting but frightening as well, judging from how the people in the Reefside mall had behaved just a few short weeks ago.

But Conner had been there for her then. Conner had given up a perfectly good morning to sit around and watch her write her name, and he'd joked around the whole time. And she just missed him…

The phone rang and his name showed up on the caller ID. "Kira," he said softly, concern in his tone. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"

"I'm not hurt or anything, Conner, I just needed to talk to you. They're putting the CD out tomorrow and the video is coming on MTV today. Everything is crazy now, and I just wanted to talk to someone that I know will always listen to me."

Conner sighed over the phone. "I don't want to talk about us, but if there's something else on your mind then you know I'm here for you."

Kira smiled slightly to herself and found herself a bench to sit on. She told him about everything that was going on with the tour Chris was organizing and how more and more people were recognizing her. And then when she had finished she told him that she missed him and was going to Reefside one last time in early September.

"Kira…I've already told you how I feel about being with you, so please, don't make me say it again. When you come home, we're just friends. Is that OK?"

The happiness that Kira had started to feel as she talked and Conner just listened vanished into thin air. "Of course that isn't OK, Conner. You have no idea how much this idea of you not being able to give me what I need is insane. You've always been able to give me what I need. You love me for me. And it's killing me that you don't want to let yourself be with me, just because of Trent having a rich father. That doesn't matter, Conner. Not to me. I thought you knew me better than that."

Kira pressed the end talk button on the phone and stomped off back in the direction of her apartment, feeling as though she were going to cry all over again.

--

Tommy and Kim dropped Macy and Nate off at Hayley's, where they were put under the supervision of the uncharacteristically brooding red Dino Thunder ranger. Before he and Kim left, Tommy pulled Macy aside and told her to be on her very best behavior, and he had almost sounded like a dad. Kim had to turn her eyes away when Macy promised and threw her arms around Tommy's neck in a hug. She was too reminded of how Jason used to do the same thing with Macy.

She and Tommy waved good-bye to Hayley and Conner and the kids. They got back into Kim's white van, the original pink ranger behind the wheel. The ride back to Angel Grove was quiet.

"Poor Conner," Kim mewed a while later, just for some conversation. "He looks so heart broken. This whole thing with Kira is really taking a toll on him, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is. But it's not that she's not trying to work things out with him. She wants to be with him, and not Trent. Me and Ethan and Hayley saw it back when we were still the Dino rangers. We were always watching to see if Conner would ever figure out that Kira was in love with him, and vice versa. And now that they came so close to finally getting out of denial, it's even more frustrating to see. Conner doesn't think he's good enough for her, and that's just stupid."

"Don't hold back on your feelings, Tommy," Kim said with a small smile on her face. "And have you told him any of this? You are supposed to be his mentor, after all."

"Of course I have, Kim. He's not listening."

Kim averted her attention back to the road and then a few minutes later turned off onto the street where the house was located. The real estate agent and the two people that had to be the couple were waiting outside.

--

Kim took the offer. Tommy could see that there was something of relief in her eyes, as well as the happiness at the extra money she'd have to spend. The agent took off to draw up the papers and the couple toured the home once more, making plans for their new home. Kim threw her arms around Tommy the second they were alone.

"Oh Tommy," she said softly. "Thank you so much, for all you've done. You've always been here for me when I needed you, and I love you for that."

Tommy flushed. "You're welcome, Kim," he said awkwardly. Kim sensed his unease, but she couldn't think of a good way to smooth her words over so she made a suggestion instead.

"When we get back to Reefside we should make an appointment to look for locations. You know, just to start. "

He nodded. "Definitely. We will. I'm sure there's a good real estate agent around somewhere." He followed Kim towards the white van, and he couldn't help but think that something else was about to start as well.


	12. Talk To Me

**Second Chances**

Kim fell completely in love with the very first spot the real estate agent showed to her and Tommy. It had been a dance studio up until a few months before, and therefore most of what the gymnastics center would need was already there: a barre for stretching exercises, cushioned mats in case of a fall, a few balance beams. And there would be enough room for a wall of lockers, a juice bar (which Hayley had a few ideas for) and a room for martial arts students. Kim was sold the moment she saw it.

"This is it, Tommy," Kimberly declared. "This is the place I want for the gymnastics center. I don't want to see anything else," she added to the real estate agent. Kim looked around, explaining her vision to Tommy as she went. He watched her in awe, admiring her passion. He couldn't help but think back to the days when they had been teenagers, back when they were still that fairy tale couple, when Kim had practiced day and night, ultimately leading her to Florida and away form him.

"Go for your dreams, Kim," he encouraged, just like when they'd been teenagers and rangers on the original team. "I know you'll be able to pull it off."

Kim turned away from him, her tawny gaze on the blue mat. "I just wish Jason could be here to see this, Tommy. I've talked about doing this for years, but then Macy came along, and then Nate…and now that I'm actually in the process of buying a place for it…I want my Jason, Tommy," she finished in a whisper.

Tommy wasn't quite sure of what to do. He looked around and saw that the real estate agent had left, leaving him alone with Kim. "Kim," he murmured softly. He pulled her into his arms. "I know Kim, I know. I miss him too."

She wasn't crying but she looked like she wanted to. "I don't even really have time to miss him. I've been so busy with my kids and helping Hayley at the café and unpacking what we kept from the old house…by the time I'm ready to go to bed I don't even think about him. I just fall asleep." Tommy felt her tremble slightly.

He had known all of that already. He watched her as she multitasked constantly, doing the best she could with all of the things she did in a day. But Kim was tough, she was a fighter. He'd known the stress was getting to her, but he hadn't thought is was this bad. "It's going to be all right, Kim," Tommy told her, but he wasn't completely convinced.

--

Conner strode off of the soccer field, wiping his face with a red towel. He'd just finished another round of pre-season conditioning, and he was completely exhausted. But the practice was intense, and he felt great. Best of all, when he was wiped out from training, he thought about Kira less often.

And these days Kira was hard to escape. She was everywhere: on the radio and on TV, doing interview segments and all the other things associated with rising stars.

And he had to be out of his mind as it was. Letting Kira Ford go, when she so obviously loved him and wanted him? He should have been checked for mental instability for throwing a romantic relationship with a girl like Kira away.

But he was trying to do the right thing for her, letting her go. Kira was beautiful, talented and smart as hell. She deserved the best, and despite what she protested yo him, he couldn't give that to her and they both knew i. She'd get over him eventually and find another man to love.

Conner always drove in the car without the radio turned on now. He wanted to make things work with Kira, but that nagging logical voice in his head kept telling him to do otherwise. He thought that if he heard even strain of Kira's voice from over the radio waves that he'd simply get himself onto the next flight to New York, no questions asked. So he drove in silence, trying to focus on the upcoming school year and the soccer season.

Once at home, he did a favor for his mother and checked the mailbox. The postman had already made his rounds, and there was a neat tidy little stack of envelops and catalogues. To his surprise, there was a letter for him, from Kira no less. Conner sighed softly and went back inside. He dumped the mail for his parents on the kitchen table and proceeded to stomp up the stairs to his red bedroom. He flopped onto his bed.

Conner ripped the envelope, careful not to rip the papers inside. His mouth fell open in disbelief once he'd seen the contents of the envelope. It was a check for five _thousand_ dollars, made out in his name. A tiny scrap of paper had also been enclosed.

_Conner,_

_Yes, that check is for real, so you can close your mouth now. It's to help you fund that soccer program you've been dreaming about. Go for it, I know you can. And don't do anything stupid like send it back. I want you to have it. All us 'celebrities' have charity causes. This is mine. I'll see you in a few weeks._

_Love,_

_Kira_

Conner stared at the piece of paper in his hands. Five thousand dollars. Good Lord. The former red ranger scrubbed a hand through his shaggy brown locks and then rolled over onto his back, staring at the ceiling. He took the red cell phone from his pocket and dialed Kira's number.

"I see you're talking to me now," Kira said as a way of greeting. "Check you mail lately?"

"Kira, you're beyond cool. Thank you so much. I really don't know what to say."

'_You could say that you love me,' _thought Kira. "Oh Conner, you don't have to say anything. I knew you needed it for those underprivileged kids. It's not a problem. I'm happy to do it. Really I am."

Conner managed a smile in spite of himself. "I appreciate this more than you'll ever know. Be safe, Kira. There's a lot of whackos in New York. I'll see you in a few weeks, like the letter said. And Kira…" he fought to ignore the little nagging voice, but what it told him was true.

'_You can't give it to her,'_ murmured the voice.

"Yeah, Con?" came Kira's melodious voice.

"I loved your CD," he said, and he hung up.

--

Kim was very pleased with the selection she'd made for her gymnastics center. She'd decided on Reefside Youth Center as its name in honor of the one in Angel Grove where she'd spent countless hours as she'd grown up. And seeing as how it had only closed a few months ago, all the tests reported the studio was up to date and she could get moving.

Hayley had offered to come up with a special line of protein shakes and smoothies, and Kim welcomed the idea. The redheaded genius got right to work for her friend and came up with quite a few delicious recipes.

Tommy offered to supply some martial arts equipment, as well as a set of weights. "I can even do a few classes, if you want me to. I don't mind helping out, Kim." And Kimberly accepted her friend's generous proposal, telling him once more that he did too much for her.

She had a few sets of rings installed, as well as vaulting horses. And then one afternoon, she and Tommy and Hayley applied a fresh coat of pale yellow paint to the main room and red to the martial arts room. It went without saying what these colors symbolized: the two people who Kim had loved the most in the world, both dead at tragically young ages.

All in all, the Reefside Youth Center came together quite easily, something Tommy was quite pleased to see. Kim had enough on her plate without a disastrous pre-opening experience.

He came home one way to find Kim in tears. "Kim?" he asked softly as he came into the room. "What's wrong, and why is Nate still sitting in his high chair all alone?"

"Oh Tommy." Kim wailed, taking her hands away from her face and throwing herself into his arms. "Tommy, Nate said his first word. I was just giving him some lunch and he was babbling in baby talk, and then he said daddy and it made me miss Jason even more…" Kimberly's voice trailed off and she let herself sob into his chest.

"I see," Tommy said slowly, rubbing slow circles on her back in hopes that it would calm her a little bit. "I'm so sorry, Kim."

Kim took a deep breath and pulled away from him. She went back into the kitchen where her son still sat, his brown eyes tired. Kim hummed a tune to him and she strode down the hallway to the guestroom Nate and Macy shared and put him into his crib. "Mommy's sorry, baby," she whispered to him. "Sleep tight."

She stayed with him until his eyes closed, still humming the song. Kim nestled her son's teddy bear in close to him, planted a peck on the top of his head and went out again, finding Tommy waiting for her in the hall.

"Kim," he said slowly. "What did you and Jason fight about that night when he got into that accident?"

Kimberly Scott's pretty face darkened. "Oh, that,,," she looked away from him. :I don't want to talk about that yet, Tommy. It was kind of stupid. He completely overreacted and went to cool off."

"Overreacted about what? Maybe it wasn't an overreaction. Maybe it was justified."

She shook her head, her chestnut brown hair swinging about her face. "It wasn't. Trust me Tommy."

Tommy thought for a moment. "If it's so unimportant then why don't you tell me? Kim, Jason was the best friend I ever had and I think if anyone deserves to know what happened the night that he died, it should be me."

Kim crossed the hall to her bedroom and kneeled beside the bed. She pulled out the huge box filled with photo albums. "We fought about this, Tommy," Kim said, and she thrust a dark green leather bound scrapbook into his arms. "These are all of the pictures I have of you and me from when we were teenagers. I was looking at them and wondering why I never threw them out, and Jason thought that I was still in love with you."

"Are you?"

Tommy asked this so softly that she barely heard him. He couldn't believe it of himself that he'd asked, but maybe he needed to know if some small part of his pink ranger still wanted him.

"That's not fair Tommy."

He didn't acknowledge this statement. "Are you?" repeated the original green ranger.

"Tommy, you were my first everything. And that meant part of me will always care about you and love you. And you've been so wonderful these past few weeks that I think I'm falling for you all over again. But I also fell in love with Jason, and I married him. And I'm not over him yet, and I won't be for a long time. So please don't ask me to do anything I'm not ready for."

--

Kira got onto the plane. She was going home, and she was determined to fix everything. It simply wasn't worth finally having everything she'd ever dreamed of if she didn't have Conner in her life.

She was playing at the opening of Kim's gymnastics center. She had written a new song, dedicated to the whole mess with Conner, and she planned on closing with it and seeing what happened from there.

Things were going to change. Kira could feel it.


	13. Second Chances

**Second Chances**

Tommy Oliver was unsure of what to do concerning his longtime friend and former flame Kimberly Scott. She had leaned on him in the three months since Jason's death, often crying on his shoulder, and then she had basically admitted that she thought she had feelings for him. She had said that she wanted to be with him again, but had asked for more time.

This was understandable. It hadn't been long since the original red ranger had died, and Tommy knew that Kim was still hurting for Jason. But in the mean time, she was still living in his house and acting as if she _were_ his wife. Kim kept the place neat and tidy and cooked most of the meals. And Tommy knew that she was trying to repay him for being her rock to lean on, but Kim was going above and beyond. He felt a little guilty watching as she ran around like a chicken with its head cut off.

Kim had thrown herself into preparing the Reefside Youth Center. As Tommy had noted earlier, the gymnastics studio came together flawlessly, and Kim announced it ready for business. She'd even arranged for Kira to play at the grand opening. And Tommy just liked seeing her happy again.

--

Conner had luck with his project as well. He'd managed to secure the soccer field at Reefside Elementary School from three-thirty to five-thirty every weekday afternoon, and thanks to Kira's more than generous donation to his cause, Conner had purchased top of the line equipment. He was quite proud of what he'd managed to achieve.

Twenty-two children, some boys and some girls, showed up on the first day. Conner was pleased to see that all of them were enthusiastic and willing to learn, and there was some genuine talent among the numbers.

"All right guys, head in!" yelled the former red ranger at twenty past five. "You were all great today, and I'll see you tomorrow at the same time."

He watched with a smile on his face as his new team headed off of the field, their faces bright and excited. He felt good about himself that with just one practice he'd already managed to teach them something, and keep them out of trouble simultaneously.

"You make a good coach, Conner," Kira said softly from behind him. "You were great with them. You're a complete natural."

Conner blinked; he hadn't been expecting Kira to show up. He kept his back towards her; he didn't want to make eye contact, certain that the second he did that all of the self control he was exerting at the moment would vanish. "Thanks, Kira," he mumbled, still keeping his gaze on the figures of the retreating children on the opposite end of the soccer field.

The former yellow ranger heaved an enormous sigh. "Look at me, Conner. It's not going to kill you. If you just want to be friends, I'm fine with it." Kira was spitting out a blatant lie by saying she was agreeing to staying friends, but anything was better than having Conner refuse to look at her,

"You're not fine with it Kira. I'm not fine with it either," replied Conner as he began gathering up the soccer balls and returning them to their bag. "But this is how it has to be. I want you to have everything you've ever wanted, and I hate to be the responsible one for once, but you and I both know that _I _can't give it to you."

"It's not that you can't Conner, it's that you won't. I don't know why you're so afriad of letting yourself love me, but if you ever figure it out let me know."

He hated himself for making her angry with him even more so than she already was. He hated himself for hurting her, but the red ranger had really taken Trent's words to heart. Kira was special…and what was he? No one important.

"You're being ridiculous, Conner," Kira said, guessing his thoughts. "You're one of the best people I know, and it's not like you to be so down on yourself. I'll see you at Kim's place on Saturday."

Only when Conner was certain that Kira was gone did he dare to turn around and look at her. He let a sigh escape from his lips and wondered if it was even worth fighting anymore.

--

Kimberly Scott was confused. Make that extremely confused. She honestly didn't know what she was supposed to do concerning the whole mess with Tommy and her resurfacing feelings for him. Even at thirty-three men were still mysteries.

If only she hadn't kept all of those old photographs of her and Tommy. She and Jason would never have had that fight, and Jason would still be alive today.

But that wasn't fair either. As she'd told Tommy, he was her first everything. Of course she was always going to love him, and Jason should have understood that. He should have. But he hadn't, and he'd been the one to storm off. It wasn't her fault, though of course she told herself that it was.

And Tommy. Her sweet, caring Tommy who Kim now knew was still in love with her. What was she supposed to do about that? Her deceased husband's best friend who happened to be her ex-boyfriend, and they still had feelings for each other. What an unbelievable sticky situation.

The good thing about Tommy (Or one of them, anyway) was that once she'd asked him not to ask anything of her that she wasn't ready for, he'd immediately backed away from the predicament they were in. Once he'd gotten his answer of her still being in love with him, he'd kindly dropped the subject-for now. Kim knew that eventually she'd have to sit down with him and discuss their now complicated relationship. In the mean time, though, he continued acting very fatherly with her children, particularly Macy.

Yes, the three year old girl was very taken with her Uncle Tommy, and she loved the attention he gave to her. It was, Kimberly suspected, almost as good as having her daddy back, at least in Macy's eyes.

Now it was Friday night, and the grand opening of the Reefside Youth Center was set for the next morning at ten o'clock. Kim knew she wasn't going to get much sleep, if any at all, due to nerves. But she was confident that her gymnastics studio was going to be a success, and so she didn't fret.

--

The place was full, Ethan James was pleased to see as he arrived at the Reefside Youth Center around noon the next say. He took a seat at the juice bar along one wall, and saw that Conner was on duty. "Hey," greeted the former blue ranger. "What are you doing working here?"

"Dr. O dragged me in with his whole 'ranger pride' line. You know, that we're really here to help each other out and once a ranger always a ranger thing. And it's not that bad actually. It's all free today in honor of the first day of opening, so help yourself." Conner pushed a cup across the counter towards Ethan.

"Cool," said Ethan, and he took a sip of the strawberry smoothie. "Have you seen Kira yet? She told me she was going on at one."

"She's over there," said Conner, pointing over to the corner opposite them. "She's setting up. Kim gave very strict orders that on fans are allowed to bother her, but I think all those kids are having too much fun to even care about Kira."

"Are you planning on talking to her while she's here?" asked Ethan. "I mean, you two are perfect for each other. I can't believe you would let her get away for the second time."

"I already told you, Ethan, just like I told Hayley, Kim, Dr. O and Kira herself: I don't think I'm right for Kira. In fact, I know I'm not. She's better off."

"If you say so," mumbled Ethan, but he didn't look entirely convinced. He fell silent, drinking his smoothie and glancing from Conner to Kira with a thoughtful expression on his face. Then his attention wandered over to where Kimberly was giving a couple of kids some tumbling lesions. "Doesn't she look happy," commented the blue ranger. "What's the news with her and Dr. O?"

Conner shrugged. "I don't know. I've been so caught up with this whole drama with Kira that I haven't done anything in the matchmaker department either. And maybe Kira was right. Maybe we shouldn't interfere with Kim and Dr. O. It's not really any of our business." The red ranger slurped at his own smoothie, his brown gaze on Kira, who was doing a sound check. She caught his eye and sent him a tiny smile in spite of everything.

"Get back to work, Conner," Kira said into the microphone, earning her a small grin in return.

"Hey, where's Dr. O, anyway? Shouldn't he be here?" asked Ethan.

"He's doing a martial arts demo in the other room," Conner answered, determinedly not looking at the yellow ranger who was now tuning her guitar.

"All right," said Kim, taking the mic from its stand. "Put your hands together for Kira Ford." The audience did as they were told.

Kira smiled broadly at the people in the audience and began strumming the chords to "Freak You Out" and was rather pleased to head them singing along. "This last song is dedicated to someone who is very special to me, even if he's being stubborn about our relationship."

Conner froze; he knew she was referring to him. He listened intently as Kira sang her song, and then he knew exactly what he had to do. He had to make things right, never mind what he thought about deserving her or not.

"Thank you," Kira said softly into the mic as the crowd burst into applause. She took her guitar and got off of the stool she'd been sitting on. The yellow ranger started towards the exit, but Conner dashed from behind the juice bar and pulled her back into his arms. He spun her around so that she was facing him and a second before he kissed her he heard her guitar drop to the ground.

She broke their second kiss, her mouth turned into a tiny smirk. "Get my message?"

Conner had the decency to look sheepish. "I'm sorry. I was stupid. Like the song said, get it before it's gone, because if you don't you'll regret it for the rest of your life. And Kira, I don't want to live without you."

"Aw," cooed Ethan sarcastically.

"Shut up," said the red and yellow rangers together. "I think I'll stick around until closing time," Kira added, looking at Kim.

"No, Conner, you go. Be with your girl. God knows we've all waited long enough," joked Kimberly. The grin on Conner's face was thanks enough for the original pink ranger.

--

Tommy and Kim closed up at seven that evening. "It's good for them, that he finally figured out he needed to be with her," said Tommy quietly.

"Tommy…I know what you're getting at. And I have to say…well…just let me show you."

And Kim hugged him to her tightly, squeezing him the way she had when they were still together. She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a very brief kiss. "Jason would want us to be happy, and if we find it with each other, then that's where we have to take it. I need us to go slowly at first, Tommy, but I'm sure we'll manage."

--

Tommy poked his head into Kim's bridal room.

"Tommy!" she squealed. "You know you're not supposed to see me before the wedding ceremony!"

"Sorry beautiful. I couldn't help myself." He grinned at his bride-to-be. "You look just as gorgeous as the day we met," he told her sweetly.

"Thank you," replied Kim. "Now get out there. I'm coming, I promise you that I am."

And Tommy headed out again, appearing in the back of the church right as the traditional wedding march started. He looked around at his guests, smiling in particular at the younger couple seated in the front row. The chocolate haired soccer player was fussing over the bundle in his wife's arms, tickling their six month old son.

And Tommy took his place at the alter, reflecting on how life always gave you a second chance to make things right.


End file.
